Nation’s rivers in poor health

More than half of the nation’s rivers and streams are in poor condition for aquatic life, according to a new report released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Nikki BuskeyStaff Writer

More than half of the nation’s rivers and streams are in poor condition for aquatic life, according to a new report released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.Local water quality officials said they aren’t surprised by the report. Local water bodies have faced water quality problems in recent years, most significantly from high levels of fecal coliform, a bacteria found in human and animal wastes.The 2008-09 National Rivers and Stream Assessment, which analyzes the most recent data available, collected samples from more than 2,000 sites across the country as a part of the EPA’s expanded effort to monitor waterways in the U.S. “The health of our nation’s rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters depends on the vast network of streams where they begin, and this new science shows that America’s streams and rivers are under significant pressure,” said Nancy Stoner, Office of Water acting assistant administrator. “We must continue to invest in protecting and restoring our nation’s streams and rivers as they are vital sources of our drinking water, provide many recreational opportunities, and play a critical role in the economy.”The report groups the country by regions. Louisiana was included in the coastal plains region, which includes the Gulf Coast and the southern and central Atlantic Coast. According to the report, 71 percent of streams in the coastal plains are in poor biological condition. The report found nitrogen and phosphorous in excessive levels in the nation’s rivers and streams. This phenomenon already has a major effect in Louisiana because the Mississippi River carries an abundance of these nutrients downstream. Dumped into the Gulf of Mexico, they fertilize an overgrowth of algae that blooms, dies and then sinks to the bottom. As it decomposes, the algae consumes the life-giving oxygen in the water column. This creates a large area of low to no oxygen off the coast each summer known as the dead zone.Thirty-six percent of rivers and streams in the coastal plains have high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus.Streams and rivers are also at risk because of decreased plant cover and increased human disturbance, making streams and rivers more vulnerable to flooding, erosion and pollution. Vegetation along streams and rivers slows the flow of rain water, removes pollutants and helps maintain water temperature to support healthy marine life. Eighteen percent of rivers and streams in the coastal plains had poor vegetative cover.In addition, bacteria levels high enough to impact human health were found in 11 percent of streams and rivers in the coastal plains. And more than 13,000 miles of rivers have fish with mercury levels that may be unsafe for human consumption nationwide. Andrew Barron, water quality specialist at the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program in Thibodaux, said one of the biggest issues in bayous in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes are high levels of bacteria such as fecal coliform.Health officials test for fecal coliform and other bacteria when determining water quality because high levels can make it unsafe to swim. The presence of that bacteria indicate the possibility of disease-causing organisms in the water that can cause a sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping or fever.The problem is most likely the result of poorly maintained individual sewerage systems in homes and businesses along bayous Lafourche and Terrebonne and other water bodies in the parishes. Business systems are permitted by the Department of Environmental Quality. In the last few years, the department has attempted to encourage compliance by conducting sweeps of businesses along bayous, checking to make sure sewerage systems are properly permitted and are not making illegal discharges. A sweep of Bayou Terrebonne was conducted in 2012, and a sweep of Bayou Lafourche was done in 2007.Residential septic systems are inspected by the state Department of Health and Hospitals. When one is installed in a private home, the department inspects it, and homeowners are supposed to get a two-year maintenance contract to ensure it keeps functioning correctly. Local officials have worked to educate homeowners on the upkeep of these systems.The bayous face threats from a number of other issues, including littering, dumping and invasive plants that can clog bayous and slow their flow, Barron said.“We’re counting on the people who live on the bayous to dispose of their trash and toxic materials properly and to make sure their sewerage systems are maintained,” Barron said. Bayou Lafourche, in particular, is the drinking water source for more than 300,000 residents of Terrebonne, Lafourche adjoining parishes.Even if you don’t live on a major bayou, many canals or creeks drain into them. Rain will also runoff into the bayous.“We need to be very, very aware of what we’re putting on our land and into our drinking water source,” Barron said.

Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.

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